Thursday, November 25, 2010

It dawned on me a few days ago, that in the midst of moving and renovating a new house, then abruptly jumping on a plane to the east coast, that I forgot to pack face wash.

Instead of cruising to Whole Foods or Blue Mercury and dropping some dough on something overpriced and toxic, I decided to turn to my boyfriend's father's kitchen.

Here's what I created in less than 10 minutes with what I found without digging too deep:

-honey (not organic, but one must make due when you are in a mini crisis)

-coffee grounds (left over in their coffee grinder from earlier)

-almonds (you could sub oats, or another grain here)

-jasmine tea

-apple cider vinegar

-olive oil

Here's what I did:

I put a few tablespoons of the apple cider vinegar in a pot and placed it on the stove. I used more than usual because my diet has consisted of cheese and sugar as of late, so I could use the extra astringent properties that ACV has. I then dumped in a combo of leftover coffee grounds (which stimulate blood flow....hence waking the skin up), almonds (a natural emollient) and jasmine tea from the contents of a tea bag and ground them together in a coffee grinder. I mixed this in with the ACV and added a decent amount of honey. The honey will help hold the mixture together, so you can add more as needed. I am also really dry from the new winter weather, so I threw in a teaspoon of olive oil. I then heated the mixture on low until well blended and poured it in to my glass jar. Chances are with all the cooking going down this time of year that you can find a glass jar in the recycling or an almost empty, old jam in the fridge that is ready to go.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Depending on where you live, it's about that time of year when the windows will remain shut for a bit. This means alot less fresh air!

If this is the case for you and your home, then it's a great time to do an herbal steam with some really great anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial herbs.

It's super simple and really healthy, especially for the lungs!

Add equal parts of the following to a big pot of water:

-eucalyptus

-tulsi (holy basil)

-lemongrass

-lavender

You could swap out any of these for another favorite.

Be sure to bring the herbs to a boil with a lid on, then remove the lid and stand over the steam, taking slow, intentional deep breaths that fill your lungs up.

Steam as long as you would like and then let the steam move into the air, so your house gets some!

You could even walk around your house with the pot to help disperse the steam.

I do this often and love it. It's a sweet, simple way to nurture yourself and the combination of herbs are endless. You could always do a google search for what herbs have these properties to see if you already have a few at home!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

After lots and lots of transition in my life, I am finally back to a 'religious' workout schedule. I get up every morning and go to the gym and low and behold.....I feel much better! There is one catch however, my skin is breaking out from sweating.

So, instead of using my Whole Grain Cleanser, which is part of the line and perfect for all skin types, I am targeting my breakouts with this really simple, effective cleanser:

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I was out laying on a blanket last night with my loved one, drinking in the moonshine of a full moon and woke to some itchy bug bites!

So, I thought i would share a few simple, yet highly effective recipes to ward off bugs without spraying toxins on your skin.

1.)Natural Bug Spray

-4 oz distilled water

-2 Tbsp grain alchohol

-4 drops thyme oil

-8 drops lemongrass oil

-4 lavender oil

-4 drops peppermint oil

Mix all ingredients and put in a spray bottle or you can use this blend to clean window sills or anywhere bugs might come in to your house if you are getting bit at night. If you don't want to wipe anything down, you can simply leave a cotton ball of the bug spray out on a counter top, table, ect. enjoy!

2.) Healing Bug Bite Blend

-Lavender Oil

-Thyme Oil

-Eucalyptus Oil

This is a general blend for all types of bites. There are specific blends for specific types of bug bites as well! If you have sensitive skin, then you will want to blend a few drops of each oil in a carrier oil like jojoba, shea or almond.

Monday, August 16, 2010

I try not to drench myself in the sun like i use to years ago......while living in Hawaii and caking on the coconut oil to see how dark i could get. So now that i am 'in my 30's', i have a new approach.

This recipe is one of my favorites. It is great for the lungs and incredibly cleansing, but most importantly it helps even out skin tone, so if you have any of those lovely brown hypo-pigment spots, sometimes called 'liver spots'....this will be a hit!

Pigment Balancing Oil:

-2 oz Organic, Unrefined Almond Oil

-5 drops Organic Lemon Essential Oil

-10 drops Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil

-5 drops Organic Helichrysum Essential Oil

mix in essential oils to almond oil and apply directly to brown spots, being sure to massage oil in to skin and blotting off any extra.

* PLEASE NOTE THAT LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL IS ACTIVATED BY THE SUN AND CAN CAUSE SUN BURN, SO USE BEFORE BED OR UNDER CLOTHING.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Here's a delicious, simple way to make a healthy, antioxidant rich mask + snack!!!

If you want to get fancy, you could use half as a mask and pour the other half in chocolate molds and give them as gifts.

Recipe:

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup cocoa butter (essential living foods brand)

1/2 cup coconut butter

3 tbsp raw agave

1/2 cup raw cacao powder (essential living foods)

* feel free to add maca, spirulina or any other greens/superfood powder for an added boost *

Melt over very low heat, stirring with whisk rigorously until the mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and pour in to class jar and molds. Let sit on counter for an hour or so, then move to refrigerator.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

This recipe stems from the lovely and therapeutic practice know as Raindrop Therapy, which is a healing practice that massages essential oils directly on the skin, and more importantly, directly along the spine.

This blend will be diluted slightly for safety reasons, but is still very effective and healing.

Here it goes...

10 drops Helichrysum Essential Oil

10 drops Oregano EO

10 drops Thyme EO

Mix into half a 1/4 cup of almond oil or coconut oil.

Lay on your stomach or massage table if possible and have someone lovingly massage the blend along the spine. This will help fight off infection or dormant viruses, as well as boost the immune system, so it's great to do even if you aren't feeling ill.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

I just returned from an amazing week in the hills outside of beautiful Nevada City, CA where 250 folks gathered to discuss grassroots healthcare and to study the therapeutics of Essential Oils.

This blog post is perfect because it combines my two favorite companies, Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon and Floracopeia in Nevada City. Both companies are extremely ethical and full of integrity, so i dedicate this recipe to them for allowing me to create my skin care line with faith that the ingredients i use are sourced responsibly and sustainably. Much peace to both of you for your good doings!!!

The Rosehip Seed Oil comes from Mountain Rose Herbs and the Essential Oils from Floracopeia.

Recipe:

Rosehip Seed Oil

Ground Linden Flower

Frankincense Essential Oil

Helichrysum

Using a mason jar, steep 2 parts linden flower in 4 parts rosehip seed oil and set aside for 1-2 weeks. Take a second mason jar and cover with unbleached cheese cloth using a rubber band. Strain the herb infused oil into a clean mason jar, separating the herb matter. Compost the linden flower and then mix 10 drops of each in an 8 oz glass bottle and gently shake to disperse the oils.

Benefits:

Frankincense EO has a long list of healing properties, one of which is lymphatic regeneration, making this a wonderful tonic for women of all ages in promoting healthy breasts!!

Helichrysum is said to be more anti-inflammatory than German Chamomile and more tissue regenerating than lavender. It also helps to reduce pain and improve circulation which will help with tenderness around your cycle.

Rosehip Seed Oil is wonderful for helping to balance hormones.

Linden Flower is very soothing and calming to the body.

Directions: Massage in gentle circular motion around your breasts with the intention of self-love and healing.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Your Skin and food - spring brings a bountiful harvest of fruits and veggies and offers so much to promote great looking skin.Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants which fight off free radicals and protects the skin. Use your favorite to create masks, cleansers and exfoliants.

Recipe: a hydrating facial mask to relieve winter dryness you can make at home:Ingredients:1/2 cup unripe papaya, diced1 teaspoon plain yogurt1 teaspoon honeyCombine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Apply the mask to your face for eight to ten minutes. Then, rinse with cool water and apply a toner to remove all traces of the mask and restore pH balance. Follow with a moisturizer.

Monday, March 15, 2010

After teaching a Yoga + Spa Pampering Workshop yesterday, in which several students were 'under the weather', i thought it would be appropriate to do a recipe for a lovely bath oil that treats colds and flus!

So, here it is:

3/4 Tbsp of either Jojoba, Almond or Shea Oil

3 drops EACH of the following essential oils:

-Roman Chamomile

-Peppermint

-Rosemary Verbenon

-Juniper

-Eucalyptus

Combine all ingredients and stir vigorously, add a few teaspoons to your bath or massage on the bottom of your feet. enjoy!

* A great resource for sustainable, organic ingredients to make your products is Mountain Rose Herbs. They are a ZERO waste company/farm based out of Oregon and have an online store!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Yesterday we did a very special and delicious workshop in San Francisco, which infused yoga, chocolate (www.apothecarychocolates.com) and a body care making class at Acupuncture Kitchen.

We focused on sensuality and chocolate as medicine. It was truly the most divine & decadent workshop to date!!

I would like to share the scrub we made!!

But first...a few things about the ingredients:

1.) Pure Cane Sugar: This differs from Beet sugar or refined sugar. it is the actual cane of the plant and is slightly brown in color. It is a natural source of glycolic acid and much less drying and abrasive than salt, yet it exfoliates and smoothes the skin!

2.) Mint: There are many variations of mint....peppermint, spearmint, bergamot mint.

All are very cooling and therapeutic for the skin. You could use fresh mint and mince it or buy dry mint in bulk from your local co-op.

3.) Raw Cacao Powder: This comes from the Cacao Tree. It is the bean from the tree, which is ground into a powder. Chocolate in it's pure form like this (before the milk and refined sugars are added) is a more powerful antioxidant than blueberries, red wine, black tea and green tea!!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Sugar....Oh honey honey!! In honor of our lil' yellow and black buddies and all they do, we will be dedicating the theme of the next class to 'honey'. In addition to making several yummy honey based treats for the skin, we will also have a local urban bee keeper talk to us about the importance of bees, as well as how to get started on our own hives + the resources to do so!! how cool is that? and as always, there will be honey for sampling + a few added surprises.

Honey Bees play an important role in pollinating flowering plants and are the major type of pollinator in ecosystems that contain flowering plants. Bees either focus on gathering nectar or on gathering pollen depending on demand, especially in social species.

Bees gathering nectar may accomplish pollination, but bees that are deliberately gathering pollen are more efficient pollinators!

It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees, especially honey bees!!

Come join us on February 10th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Green Home Center in San Francisco for a night of sampling honey, learning about hives + bees from a local urban bee keeper and making delicious body care products made with honey, beeswax and more!!